A Blooming Flower
by HollowPrincess
Summary: What happens when Momo decides to put her past behind her and attempt to move on? Can she put Captain Aizen in the past or will she continue to try to save him? Toshiro X Momo with some Aizen X Momo elements.
1. Chapter 1

She could remember the young boy from so long ago. Toshiro hadn't changed much, but had she? She had been stabbed twice, it had hurt both times, but she was a fighter, she kept waking up again. Why did Captain Aizen do what he did? Captain Aizen. She couldn't allow the tears to fall, she couldn't. She needed to change, she needed to move pass that part of her life. She had to grow up. Growing up, the thought didn't scare her. She had been like this for years now, never changing. No just because she did not change physically it didn't mean she couldn't grow up mentally. She had to move pass that part and into a brighter future.

She gulped as she looked upon Mugen. There was no way that they would just let her though the front gates, would they? Why was she even there in the first place? She needed closure, she needed to see Captain Aizen to put him behind her. No not Captain Aizen it was just Aizen, she couldn't call the man her Captain anymore. Would they let her in though? She was only a lieutenant, she had no real authority. She could break in. No. Where did that thought even come from? That went against everything that she was about. She could never do such an act just to let go of a little part of her past. Maybe she could. No she couldn't think like that. She shook her head back and forth to try to clear her head. Toshiro would have a fit if he knew she had come here after he had banned her not to.

Banned. Perhaps that was why she found herself standing shortly outside the gates of Mugen. Toshiro wasn't the boss of her, she was older then he was. Well only by almost two years, but she was still older then him. He couldn't tell her what to do, this was her choice. She needed to make her move now perhaps she could give a smile to the guards and they would just allow her in. Well she wouldn't know unless she tried. She approached the gates that separated Mugen from the rest of the Seireitei. "Um excuse me" she got out in her soft voice.

The guard stationed at the window looked down at her. "Ah Lieutenant Hinamori, to what do we owe this pleasure?"

She offered the man a smile. "I know it must be hard work protecting Mugen, but I bet it must be lonely" friendly conversation was key.

"What can we do for you today Lieutenant" another man came up to the window to face her.

"Well I know it might go against your orders but I don't know for sure. You see I am trying to change my life around and the only way I can do it is if I…. I…. I talk to Aizen. He is my past and I need to push that behind me. It would be much appreciated if I could talk to him."

The new guard looked at her as she spoke. It took a lot to call Captain Aizen just by Aizen in front of people. It was a step though. "He is a very dangerous criminal" the man was remaining her of that fact.

"I am aware of this, but I need to talk to him. I do not come to offer him any aid whatsoever. I couldn't think of it. Please." What if they didn't let her in? What did she do then?

"Your zanpakutō, you must leave it here" the more serious of the guards spoke. She undid Tobiume from her sash and handed it to the guards through the window. It was an acceptable price to pay if they was going to let her in Mugen.

"We will be watching you the whole time" the guard stated in a serious voice.

"It is only for your safety though Lieutenant Hinamori." The more friendly guard added in.

She nodded. "I understand and it is perfectly fine." She could hear the locks being undone and soon she was being lead through a double bolted door by the nicer one of the guards. The serious guard going back to his post, well that was at least good. She was being lead through darken corridors. The air down here was stale. This was where they were holding Captain Aizen, well at least they were leading her to him.

"I'll bring you cookies for your troubles" she offered the guard with a smile.

"No no Lieutenant Hinamori. You shouldn't go through all the trouble we are just doing our job."

"But you allowed me to pass and for that I am very thankful. It is out of kindness and it isn't any trouble at all. Is chocolate chip okay?" The guard having given up gave a simple nod. By that time they had stopped outside a door.

"I will be out here Lieutenant Hinamori. Simply walk down three paces and turn right. Aizen's cell is right there. We will both be watching, but you can say whatever you want. I know how closure can be, I'll be waiting when you're done. Just tap on the door and I'll let you out." She gave a simple nod as she went through the now open door into the final block of Mugen where Captain Aizen was located.  
She gave a tiny gulp, this was the same man that had been responsible for stabbing her twice. No he was simply being manipulated, he was really the same nice and sweet Captain Aizen that she had known before. Her Captain that allowed her to read his books when he was finish with them.

He wasn't a bad guy. No, she couldn't think like that. Aizen had done all of that, he had been the manipulator. He couldn't be saved. She needed this closure that was what she was here for. She would tell the man she had moved on and not listen to a word he said. She had to move on from that part of her life, she had to grow up. She forced herself to move the three paces and then turn right to face a single cell.

The cell was dark inside and she could barely make out anything inside it. Was this really where they had Captain Aizen? She stepped closer to the cell, but not too close. She could barely make out a single figure sitting in a chair. Captain Aizen! Her heart leaped as she finally made out the figure, it had to be Captain Aizen. She bit her lip. "Captain Aizen." She had to hear his voice, however his silky voice did not reach her ears. What had they done to Captain Aizen? She took another step closure to the bars, perhaps she was too close, she didn't care.

"Captain Aizen, I know that is you. You don't have to speak. You don't have to say a single word, maybe it is for the best. I had to come see you, I wasn't going to let anyone tell me what I could do. I am going to grow up, I promise. I have learned the most I have ever learned from you and your books. I have to thank you Captain Aizen for giving me that knowledge. Why did you have to do it? Why?!" She couldn't help the tears as they stung her eyes and flowed down her cheeks.

The man's voice did not come. She was going to walk away when she felt something wrapping around her. She looked up half expecting to see the man she had been talking to outside of the cell and embracing her. However she was still alone outside the cell. Was her mind playing tricks with her? No that was Captain Aizen's reiatsu. She couldn't help but extend her own reiatsu through the bars and to her Captain. This was the Captain she knew, the man she admired, he was still in there. How did she get him out? No that was a bad idea. All the man did was cause pain and suffering, no he was being manipulated. He wasn't evil, he was her Captain Aizen.

Her mind was screaming at her to move away from the cell and to leave this place. Though she couldn't, she had to see her Captain. The reassuring wave of reiatsu was enough for her, he could be saved. She would save him, no one could know what she was doing. No one not even Shiro. What could she do without her zanpakutō? No she didn't need Tobiume to save her captain, she could just use kido. No one would expect an attack from the outside of the cell.

No surely the cell was guarded against kido. After all Captain Aizen was a kido master. If he couldn't break out then she couldn't help him. Wait, what was she thinking of doing? She had come here for closure not to break out her ex-Captain. No she could keep him safe, she could save him. She was the only one who could save him. She had to save Captain Aizen. No she couldn't do something like that. She needed to say her goodbye and go on.

"I'm sorry Captain Aizen. I can't do this. I need to move on, but I will come back when I am ready. You will always be my Captain. Don't worry. That spot will never be taken by anyone else in my heart. I believe in you still Captain Aizen, but for now this is goodbye." She could feel the tears falling down her cheeks again. She took in a few deep breaths as she walked away from the cell. She wiped at her eyes to stop the tears before she knocked on the door to make sure the guard knew to let her out.

She thought of what she had told Captain Aizen. This was goodbye for now. No one would ever take that spot in her heart. You will always be my Captain. I believe in you still. All of those things were true, but she didn't know if she could uphold that promise. What is she couldn't go back? Surely they wouldn't let her just waltz back into Mugen after she had left. Cookies was only a nicety for letting her do this in the first place. She had a feeling they weren't supposed to let anyone in. This was her only time in because she had said she needed to move on. She needed to move on, and to move on she would have to forget about the man in the cell.

No she couldn't forget about that man. That man was being manipulated he was innocent, he could be saved. She couldn't give up on him, because if she gave up then he had no one left. No this would be their little secret. It wasn't wrong to hold these feelings in her heart for the man who had saved her so long ago. Who had taken her under his wing and helped her become a better person, to excel in kido. He wasn't an evil man, he just needed someone willingly to try to understand him better. All he needed was someone to be there for him. That someone was going to be her.

The guard finally opened the door for her. This might be goodbye for now, but she would never forget about the man in the cell. She had to save Captain Aizen. She was the only one who was capable of it. That was her mission in life that was the reason she needed to grow up. She would save that man… somehow. She walked with the guard until she was out of the doors of Mugen. She tied Tobiume back into place after she was handed back to her. Yes she would save Captain Aizen. She had to save that man.


	2. Chapter 2

As she walked away from Mugen she wondered how she could actually work with the task she had given herself. How could she save Captain Aizen? How did she move on? She could move on without forgetting Captain Aizen. She could put on a smile and claim that she was fine that she had changed, that she had forgotten the man who had found his way into her heart. He wasn't just some Captain to her, no one would understand the bond she had with the man. People only saw her as innocent and naïve Momo, as a poor girl who had been plunged into a very dark place.

No one knew her either. Captain Aizen got to know her. She didn't ask him to become close to her, to share his books and his knowledge, he had done so himself. He wasn't some bad guy like everyone else saw him as, he was just lost and being manipulated. No one understood, but she did, she would free her Captain one day when the day came. She just needed to think of a way to do it without breaking every rule of the Soul Society and without being too obvious about the task she had claimed as her own.

No she couldn't think of that now, she needed to continue her steps to a new her. She had gotten her 'closure' she needed to figure out another way to move on now. Was Toshiro her past or her future? Toshiro had always been her friend, but he always treated her like a child. She was older, she shouldn't be treated like a child that needed protection. If anything she needed to get stronger so she could protect him. No she was strong, she wasn't weak like everyone thought. She just didn't know how to challenge the idea everyone had of her. No she would show them all. She still had some of Captain Aizen's books, she could do this. If she needed more books she could go to the library, books were knowledge and knowledge was power. She could do this.

She walked by a hair salon on her way towards the squad five barracks. Her hair was something that held her to the past. She could get it cut to represent a new her. A new image had to make people think differently of her. Wasn't that what Captain Aizen did? He had changed his hair style not cut it. No she had to cut it get rid of the sweet, innocent and naïve feel about her. She had to grow up, she would grow up. She took in a breath, she would do this, she had to do this. She slowly pushed open the door to the salon and walked in.

"Ah Lieutenant Hinamori, what can I do for you?"

"I need a new look" she said it with confidence rather than the unsure soft voice she usually spoke in. The barber looked shock at her request but after a second he nodded and gestured for her to take a seat. She took a seat, she couldn't be nervous about this, she had to do this, it was part of moving on. She needed a new hairstyle that was the real first step of moving on. She undid her hair so it fell around her face at its full length.

"Could you be more specific Lieutenant? What exactly do you want?"

What did she want? "I want a new look all together. Something edgier maybe short hair." Edgier, who would have thought she would be using that word out loud. Her overall attitude needed to change too, she needed to grow as a person, she needed to, no she would grow. She could tell that the barber looked shocked once again.

"Lieutenant are you sure? How about a nice trim rather than something that drastic. "

"No this is what I want. Times have changed, I need to move pass that part of me, I need to make that look part of the past as well. I need a change and not just a trim. I want a new look that is nowhere close to my original style." Yes that was right, she had to stick up for what she believe in. Maybe that was why Captain Aizen did what he did to her, yes that had to be it. He was trying to help her. He was trying to help her to grow up, to bloom as a person.

She could tell that the barber was hesitating. "You have such pretty hair, are you sure you want short hair? It just doesn't seem like you Lieutenant."

"That is the point. I want to grow up, I don't want to be the same forever. I need to grow up. That is what I learned from all of this. I need to grow up and changing my hair is part of growing up. It isn't like I want it all cut off, that would be too short, but I want something shorter then what I have. Please." The please was something that was important to add in. Please was an art of conversation. After a few more moments of hesitation she noticed that the barber had finally picked up a comb.

"I'll see what I can do." That was more like it. She had to relax, this was what she wanted. She needed a new look. Though she had never done anything this daring. No she couldn't have second thoughts, she needed a change. Her hair was being combed out to get out any tangles. Before any cut was made to her hair she was being leaned back into a sink. The barber was nice and not too rough with her that was probably why she liked going here. No this was the barber that Captain Aizen had gone to.

He would do the right thing in the end. She had to trust this man with her hair. This was what she needed to start her growing right. A new style would surely make her change a little bit. After a quick washing, she was being lead back over to the chair. The first cut. This was real. No she couldn't panic, she had wanted this, she would not back out. She wasn't fickle, she couldn't be fickle. After several cuts were made her hair was being dried. At some point she had closed her eyes so she didn't have to watch the transformation. She had gave the excuse of not wanting to get hair in her eyes, so the barber had said nothing else.

"Okay Lieutenant Hinamori I'm done" the barber sounded proud of himself like he always was. She slowly opened her eyes to look at herself in the mirror. No that couldn't be her, she looked so different. She looked older maybe even wiser, yet she still had that sweet look about her. She noticed that her bangs were gone, well all but one of them that right side. Her hair was shorter that was for sure, but she liked it. The style reminded her a little of Captain Aizen, so that made her happy. Maybe that meant Captain Aizen approved of this new look.

"Thank you I love it." She offered a smile to the barber. Though it was missing something, maybe a hair clip of some kind. She would go there from here. She quickly paid for the haircut and she was on her way towards the clip store. She needed the perfect clip that would work with her new style. Nothing that would make her seem naïve and too innocent, but nothing too out there. She walked down the street until she reached the small shop that sold hair 'toys'. This was the very shop she had bought her hair cover from so very long ago.

She looked around the store, so far everything was too flashy or too out there for her new style. She might have to look at the other shop if she couldn't find anything here. That was when she saw the small barrette that was for her. It was a similar color as the bun cover, the color that represented squad five. No this one was a little greener then the bun cover. It would work. She quickly took the barrette off of its place and went to pay for it.

"Is that you Lieutenant Hinamori? You seem different. That hair cut…" the women at the counter started staring in shock at her new look. Did the clerk really not like it? No it didn't matter if she liked it or not, what matters was that she liked it. She couldn't depend on other people to tell her how to live her life perhaps that was why she was in this part of life now. She couldn't care about what others thought of her, she had to become more like Rangiku and be more open about herself to others. For others to accept her she had to accept herself.

"I wanted to change my style a little bit. It has been years since I did anything different with my hair and I thought it was time for that change. I like it but I think it was missing something. I think it was missing this" she made sure to point to the barrette.

"It is a big change. Well I guess as long as you are happy with it." The women gave her a smile as she paid for the small treasure. A smile which she returned. She used the small mirror in the store to put the barrette in her hair on left side being sure to leave the bang on her right side. That would remind her of her promise to Captain Aizen. She would change, but she would keep some parts of her old life. She couldn't get rid of Captain Aizen because she had to save him. She couldn't completely forget about Toshiro because that was her friend, but things would have to change between them.

Toshiro couldn't boss her around like some little kid anymore. She would tell him that she was older and she didn't appreciate it. Well she could see what he was trying to do, he was trying to protect her. That was it. No she could take care of herself, she wasn't defenseless. She might not be a Captain but she was a Lieutenant. It provided that she could take care of herself. She wasn't as strong as she needed to be though, she would work on that. She would show Toshiro and everyone, she had to, that was yet another step that was needed in order to truly move on with her life.

She offered one final smile to the lady at the counter before she left the shop. Where was her next step? Did she go back to the barracks and listen to her new Captain go on about how bad Captain Aizen was. No she needed to go find Rangiku first, she needed her help if she was going to reinvent herself. Would Rangiku be in the squad ten barracks or would she be elsewhere? Where could her friend be? That was a good question. She walked the very familiar route to the squad ten barracks, might as well check there first.

She was barely there when she saw her friend. Toshiro wasn't around her, this was the perfect time. "Momo is that you?"

"Yes, this is me Rangiku. What do you think?" So maybe it did matter what Rangiku thought of her new look. Rangiku was silent for a minute, that wasn't a good sign at all.

"I like it but it is not exactly you."

"That is the point Rangiku. I wanted to change up things a little bit, I felt like I needed to. I want to change, I want to grow up. I don't want to be the same my whole life, I want to try to do something about it." Rangiku had suffered because of Captain Aizen, she tried to hide it, but she had suffered. Gin was why she hadn't been the same person as she usually was. Normally she was upbeat but she hadn't been the same. She could tell that her friend was hurting, she needed to do something to cheer her up. How did she get Rangiku back to herself? It had been a few months since the battle above the fake Karakura Town and she was worried about Rangiku.

What did Rangiku like? Shopping and sake. She had never had a drop of sake before, so she didn't know if she was the right person to try to cheer Rangiku up with sake. Though shopping she could do, maybe she could try to arrange a trip to the World of the Living in order to make Rangiku happier. She was in thought when Rangiku pulled her into a hug. "Rangiku?"

"I'm proud of you Momo." Rangiku was proud of her. Someone was actually proud of her and wasn't treating her like some little kid. Maybe this was why Rangiku was her best friend, well besides Tobiume of course.

"Oh Rangiku…" She was so happy that someone was actually proud of her. That was why she believed in Captain Aizen, because he was proud of her, he encouraged her when others put her down. That was why the man had worked himself into her heart. Him stabbing her that was all to make her stronger. That was it. That was why she had to save the man. Could she challenge the Soul Society though? There had to be a way to keep both parts of her life. She would wait, she would continue to read. She would figure out a way. She had to, Captain Aizen was depending on her.

"Momo?" She quickly backed away from Rangiku when she heard Toshiro's voice.

"Hey Shiro. This is the first step to a new me. I know it is a little much but I like it that is all that matters."

"Oh Momo, I guess it isn't a bad look. Though I'll miss your old style." She couldn't help it she threw her arms around Toshiro. "However I know what you did. How dare you do that? I forbid you from going there for a reason…"

She sighed the moment was lost. Toshiro had gone back to chastising her again. It would take some time, but she would change the way everyone saw her. Perhaps she should start with Toshiro.

"Shiro… I'm sorry but you can't tell me what to do. I am my own person. I know you are only trying to do what is best for me, but I needed to do it. I am…" her words began to die. She could see Rangiku gasping and Toshiro looked dumbfounded. "I'm sorry Shiro. Rangiku I'll try to meet with you later. I should probably go back to my own barracks." She turned and hurried away before either of them could do or say anything. She had actually started to stand up for herself. This was the first step. She had to get stronger though, she needed to grow up more. All it would take was time.


End file.
